Have you ever gotten a lab report handed to you and wondered just what all of those numbers meant? The doctor goes on and on trying to make you understand them. But, really what exactly are the total cholesterol numbers? Although it does seem to be completely out of your league, rest assured you can learn. It is important to comprehend those reports because they are about you and your body. We need to have at least a basic understanding of what is going on with our own health.
Unless you have never been to a doctor, you probably already know about the score of 200. We want to hear that our cholesterol is lower than that. That is normal and we understand it. Over 200 is a whole different story.
Often when we visit the doctor our only concern is that, the number is below 200. For many years, that was the gold standard in cholesterol testing. If the number was 200 or lower, great. If it was higher than 200, you have got some problems. The doctor may tell you to get more exercise, lose some weight and start taking this new prescription to lower your cholesterol.
Okay, so here comes the basic math part, be prepared. Total Cholesterol Number (TCN) = Bad Cholesterol (LDL) + Good Cholesterol (HDL) + VLDL. Now isn’t that a very simple formula?
Total cholesterol is calculated using this formulas: HDL +LDL+VLDL=Total Cholesterol.
So, it would be a bit easier if the formula was expressed more in this manner: LDL + HDL + (Fat/5) = TCL. The bad cholesterol plus good cholesterol plus the triglycerides divided by five equals your total cholesterol number.
Although it seemed complicated at first, it really isn’t that hard to understand. You now can see how your total cholesterol number is determined. But, let’s be realistic, okay? The next time you go to the doctor, if the number is below 200, you will be happy. If the number is higher than 200, get ready for that stern lecture!
In the US, cholesterol levels are expressed in mg/dL. The examples above are based on this measure. In the rest of the whole, cholesterol levels are expressed in mmol/l (millimoles per liter). To convert mg/dL to mmol/l simple divide by 39.